With the advancements in browser technology in recent years the border between software and homepage have been erased. One way to use this is by adding configurators and draw tools to the company e-commerce platform. This enables the end customer to to the customization work themselves. And with high level of automation all through the supply and manufacturing chain the end cost is competitive with mass manufactured products.

One swedish company, SkyMaker AB, has developed a Cloud service for CAD & Automation to shorten the setup time for a e-Commerce drawing tool or configurator. And also standardizes how to build a software like this to enable efficient integrations with other systems.

Some example applications are lightweight mesh products such as mesh decks and other building applications like custom door, interior walls, etc.

Swedish based company SkyMaker AB recently launched their web based 3D-platform SkyMaker Studio for product generators. It uses WebGL to enable working with 3D-models directly in most modern browsers including iPads since the iOs8 release. No installs required!

The platform can easily be modified and branded for most product owning companies which shortens the way from customer to custom designed product. There are also a few free product generators that are aimed towards DIY manufacturing with 3D-printers. One example is creation of custom assortment boxes. Once you have access to your first 3D-printer you should never have to buy another assortment box again.

More and more Swedish schools are realizing the benefits with the traditional Abacus as a tool for math education. The school Waldorfskolan in Söderköping have Abacus classes on the schedule since a few years back and both teachers and students seems to love it. Hopefully this could be a turning point for many students with diminishing math skills in Sweden.

A quote on the math subject from one of the schools teachers (Authors translation):

“This is probably the only school subject where you can ridicule your lack of skills. What if people in a similar way would say: Reading, naaa, thats not really my thing.”

After the flyboards was invented by Franky Zapata back in 2011 several versions have been released to the world. The vehicles are powered by a Water Scooter and the long tubing lets you fly somewhat unrestricted.

The latest version is the Hover Board which takes board riding to a new level.

The Bengler team have visualized Norwegian moving patterns with the help of Tax documents from 2006 and 2007. Its a visual experiment with national data and it uses the Cinder project to generate the nice graphics.

For the first time in history the Turing Test have been passed by a machine. In this years test the software Eugene Goostman convinced 33% of the jury that it was a 13 year old boy. The developers Vladimir Veselov and Eugene Demchenko have been working since 2001 with it and it has participated in a number of Turing tests over the last years.

“We could try the Turin test,” said Lobsang.
“Oh, machines have been able to pass the Turing test for years.”
“No, the Turin test. We both pray for an hour, and see if God can tell the difference.”
― Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter, The Long War

The poem The Builders by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was once upon a time given to apprentices of many trades to learn by heart due to its sound values of craftsmanship and life in general. Nobody has time for that any more, and that’s why we won’t have anything built today that will last for centuries.

The builders

All are architects of Fate,Working in these walls of Time;Some with massive deeds and great,Some with ornaments of rhyme.

Nothing useless is, or low;Each thing in its place is best;And what seems but idle showStrengthens and supports the rest.

For the structure that we raise,Time is with materials filled;Our to-days and yesterdaysAre the blocks with which we build.